Up until just a few months ago, I got around town using the Telenav Navigator on my HTC Hero and then later my Samsung Galaxy SII Android phone. While this is convenient because you always have your phone with you, it’s also inconvenient because it drains your battery life and you’re unable to easily take phone calls.

If you perform a Google search for “navigation systems” today, you’ll undoubtedly see millions of results. While you’ll find hundreds of devices and thousands of reviews, let me just save you all the trouble.

After diligently reviewing all the best options, I’ve crowned my personal winner: the Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT.

Why I chose it

Uses some of the latest technology available

Includes lifetime traffic and map updates

Comes with voice recognition

Tells you what lane you need to be in prior to switching

Works in landscape and portrait mode

Received an average of 4/5 stars online

What I like about it

Connects to satellites very quickly

Calculates routes in a matter of seconds

Recognizes and understands my voice 4/5 times

Charges via a cable connected to the mount, not the device

Has a built-in speaker in the mount for higher volume

Tracks (optionally) everywhere I’ve been so I can review it later

What I don’t like about it

Unable to control traffic information via voice

Must have the device connected to the mount to receive traffic information

Website, where updates can be downloaded, isn’t user-friendly

What I learned after I got it

Additional software is available to manage the device i.e. add points of interest and view the routes you drove

Conclusion

I’m very happy with the navigation system and I’d buy it again. If you have any questions about this product to which you can’t find the answer to, feel free to ask in the comments.